Multiple coin receiver



Nov. 28, 1961 N. G. WEITZMAN MULTIPLE COIN RECEIVER Filed Nov. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l E 4 NORMAN e. WEITZMAN INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1961 N. G. WEITZMAN 3,010,557

MULTIPLE COIN RECEIVER Filed Nov. 12, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 NORMAN 6. WEITZMAN INV ENT OR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,010,557 h/IULTIPLE COIN RECEIVER Norman G. Weitzman, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Oak Manufacturing Co., Inc., (Iulver City, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Nov. 12, 1958, Ser. No. 773,499 6 Claims. (Cl. 194-63) This invention relates to a coin receiver adapted to be utilized in conjunction with various types of dispensers, such as ball gum dispensers and, more particularly, to a coin receiver adapted to receive a plurality of coins.

In the past coin receivers of the character of that under consideration here have been usually adapted for the reception of only one coin such as a penny, nickel or a dime and no provision has been made for the dispensing of articles in the intermediate price ranges such as the two cent price range or multiples thereof. Due to the increased cost of manufacture of certain commodities in dispensing machines which were previously economically salable at the cost of one cent, it has recently become necessary to consider the desirability of marketing and dispensing such articles at an increased price such as two cents.

Unfortunately conventional coin receivers customarily utilized incorporate no means for the reception of a plurality of coins and it is therefore an object of my invention to provide a coin receiver which is adapted to receive a plurality of coins and which, when associated with a conventional dispensing mechanism will not permit said dispensing mechanism to be operated to discharge an article dispensable therefrom until the proper number of coins has been deposited in the coin receiver of the invention.

The utilization of a coin receiver adapted to accept a plurality of coins poses certain problems, among them being the possibility that the multiple coin receiver may, by the utilization of auxiliary tools such as paper clips and the like, be caused to dispense an article after only one coin has been deposited therein.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a coin receiver of the aforementioned character which incorporates means adapted to prevent the energization of the receiver and the associated dispenser if only one coin is deposited therein. An additional object of my invention is the provision of a coin receiver of the aforementioned character which includes a plurality of coin engaging or blocking means whereby, if a single coin should be, by adroit manipulation, urged past the first blocking means, the associated blocking means will engage the same and thus prevent energization of the receiver and the associated dispenser.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a multiple coin receiver of the aforementioned character which is adapted to be utilized in substitution for a conventional coin receiver and which entails no modification of the dispensing mechanism with which it is intended to be used.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanyiug drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View showing the coin receiver of the invention incorporated in a dispenser whose actuation it is intended to control;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view showing the receiver installed in operative relationship with'the base of the dispenser;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the coin receiver;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, certain component parts of the receiver having been removed;

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FIG. 5 is a View similar to PEG. 4, the back or rear wall of the housing of the receiver having been removed;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary View showing the manner in which the first coin blocking means of the receiver operates to prevent the utilization of one coin to permit the operation of the receiver and the second blocking means cooperates to prevent the receiver from being operated should a coin be manipulated past the first blocking means;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary view showing the manner in which a plurality of coins will be permitted to pass the first and second blocking means; and

FIG. 8 is a view showing the manner in which reverse rotation of the coin receiver is prevented.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2 thereof, I show a coin receiver 15) constructed in accordance with the teachings of my invention and adapted to be mounted in the base 12 of a dispenser 14, said dispenser incorporating articles to be dispensed, not shown, in a transparent receptacle 16 and having a dispensing chute 18 for said articles embodied therein. The coin receiver 10 includes a substantially rectangular housing 29 which is formed from two die castings, a front die casting 22 and a rear die casting 24, said die castings being referred to hereinafter as the front and rear parts 22 and 24 of the housing 26.

The coin receiver it? incorporates a coin receiving station defined by a slot 26 in the upper edge of the front part 22 of the housing 21 and a coin discharging station defined by an outwardly curved surface 28 formed integrally upon the interior wall of the front part 22 of the housing 2%} adjacent the lower right hand corner thereof as viewed in FIGS. 35 of the drawings A chamber 39 is defined by the front part 22 of the housing 20 and the rear part 24 of said housing serves as a rear wall which is secured in overlying relationship with said chamber by means of screws 32 as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings, said screws being received in corresponding openings 34 in the corners of the front part 22 of the housing 29.

The back part or wall 24 of the housing 20 incorporates an elongated arcuate opening 35 which overlies the chamber 39 and incorporates a coin discharging opening 38 which overlies the outwardly curved surface 28 at the coin discharging station of the receiver 19.

Mounted within the chamber 30 is a coin receiving element 4%, said coin receiving element being constituted by a substantially circular wheel 42. which is mounted for rotation on the shaft 44 of an actuator 46. Therefore rotation of the actuator 46 will cause corresponding rotation of the shaft 44 and thus concomitant rotation of the wheel 42 within the chamber 3% A coin receiving recess 48 is provided in the periphery of the wheel 42 and is'adapted, as best shown in FIG. 8 of the drawings, for reception of a plurality of coins such as the two pennies 50 shown in FIG. 8. In order to facilitate the reception of the plurality of coins 50, the opposite ends 52 of the recess 48 are curvilinear in configuration in order to conform to the configuration of the juxtaposed coins 59 and it will be noted that, as best shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings, curvilinear portions 54 are provided on a central boss 55 on the wheel 42 to permit the reception of the adjacent perimeters of the coins 50.

A dogging lug 58 is formed on the perimeter of the wheel 42 and is engageable by a dog on biased inwardly by a spring 62 as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. The function of the dog 69 in relationship to a coin 50 within the recess 48 will be described in greater detail herein below. Also provided on the perimeter of the wheel 42 are lugs 64 adapted to prevent reverse movement of thewheel for a purpose which'will be described in greater detail below, said lugs, as best shown in FIG. 8

3 of the drawings, being engageable by a dog 66 biased inwardly by a spring 68.

Mounted for pivotal movement in a recess 72 defined by cooperating integral protrusions 74 on the rear part 24 of the housing 20 is a first coin blocking and dogging means 76 constituted by a dog 73 having an angularly bent extremity projectible through the upper end of the opening 36 into engagement with a coin 59 as best illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. A leaf spring 80 biases the dog 78 inwardly and is secured in operative relationship with the back or rear part 24 of the housing 20 by means of a screw 32 as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. A second coin blocking and dogging means 84 is pivotally mounted in a recess 86 defined by corresponding protrusions 88 on the back part 24 of the housing 29 and is constituted by a dog 96 Whose angularly bent extremity extends into the lower part of the areaately formed opening 36 as best shown in FIGS. 4, and 6-7 of the drawings. A leaf spring 92 secured in operative relationship with the rear part 24 by means of a screw 94 biases the dog 90 inwardly toward the opening 36.

Also mounted upon the shaft 44 of the actuator 46 is a gear 98 which is adapted to be rotated on said shaft to cause corresponding rotation of a dispensing disc 100 mounted in the dispenser 14. Thus when the actuator 46 is rotated to cause corresponding rotation of the wheel.

42 constituting the coin receiving element 49, simultaneous rotation of the dispensing disc 106 will take place to permit thedispensing of an article from the receptacle 16 through the dispensing chute 18. Also mounted upon the shaft 44 are cams 102 which serve, in conjunction with a spring 1&4 as locating means to properly position the shaft 44 and, thus, the Wheel 42 mounted thereupon with respect to the first and second stations 26 and 28 of the coin receiver 10.

In the ordinary operation of the receiver 10- two appropriately sized coins such as the pennies 59 are dropped into the slot 26 at the coin receiving station and into the coin receiving recess 48 as shown in initial position in FIG. 8. When the coins have been deposited in the recess 48, initiation of the rotation of the wheel 42 by corresponding rotation of the actuator 46 causes the first coin to be carried downwardly in a counterclockwise direction in the direction of the arrow 106 as shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. Since the coins 50 are juxtaposed to the end walls 52, when the first coin 50 is rotated with the wheel 42 it will not permit the first coin dog to drop downwardly to engage its edge to prevent rotation of the wheel 42. In addition its perimeter will engage the adjacent edge of the wheel dog 60 and thus prevent said dog from impinging on the dogging lug 58 in the manner shown in FIG. of the drawings to prevent rotation of the wheel 42.

In addition the second coin will maintain the first coin in abutting relationship with the juxtaposed end wall 52 so that the second coin dog 90 cannot engage the edge of the first coin and prevent rotation of the wheel 42. Therefore the wheel 42 can be completely rotated and the coins discharged over the outwardly curved surface 28 through the corresponding opening 38 in the rear part 24 of the housing 20. Reverse rotation of the wheel 42 is prevented by engagement of the wheel dog 66 against a corresponding dogging lug 64.

If an attempt is made to operate the receiver by utilizing only one coin 50 the coin will be engaged by the first coin dog 78 as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings and thus will not be permitted to move into a position in which it will be able to raise the Wheel dog 69 to prevent its ultimate impingement on the dogging lug 58. If rotation of the wheel 42 is continued, such impingement and dogging of the wheel 42 takes place to prevent energization of the receiver 10.

However, due to the fact that the coin receiving recess 48 is adapted for the reception of at least two coins, it is possible by the use of a slender implement such as a paper clip to jam the single coin 50 against the contiguous end wall 52, thus permitting the single coin 50 to raise the dog 60 and permit the coin 50 to rotate into the dash line position shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings. When this occurs, the wheel 42 will be rotated to carry the coin 50 under the second coin dog 93. However, the first coin dog 78 will engage the left-hand end wall 52 of the recess 48 by dropping behind the coin into a position to accomplish such engagement.

I thus provide by my invention a multiple coin receiver which will not respond to the insertion of a single coin and which incorporates cooperative coin dogging means adapted to prevent the utilization of a single coin in an attempt to cause improper actuation of the coin receiver. The multiple coin receiver of my invention can be substituted for a corresponding conventional single coin receiver without modification of the dispenser in which it is to be incorporated.

I claim:

1. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a circular, movable coin receiving element having a recess in one face thereof to snugly receive, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the direction of element movement; a housing for said element incorporating coin receiving and discharging stations; an actuator in said housing connected to said element for moving the recess between registry with said coin receiving and discharging stations; a first coin dog on sm'd housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement of said recess adapted to engage a coin in said recess; and a second coin dog on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement as said recess adapted to engage said coin in said recess, said dogs, on movement of said element sliding over a properly positioned coin but engaging the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin thereby arresting the movement of said improperly positioned coin and said element.

2. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a housing incorporating coin receiving and discharging stations; a circular, rotatable coin receiving element having a recess in one face thereof for snugly receiving, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the direction of rotation of said element; an actuator in said housing connected to said element for moving the recess therein between said coin receiving and discharging stations; a first coin blocking means mounted on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement of said recess; and a second coin blocking means mounted on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and disposed in the path of movement of said recess whereby said first and second coin blocking means, upon rotation of said element, slide over a properly positioned coin but engage the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin thereby arresting the movement of said improperly positioned coin and said element.

3. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a circular, movable coin receiving element having a recess in one face thereof to snugly receive, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the direction of element movement; a housing for said element incorporating coin receiving and discharging stations; an actuator in said housing connected to said element for moving the recess between registry with said coin receiving and discharging stations; a first coin dog on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement of said recess adapted to engage a coin in said recess; a second coin dog on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement as said recess adapted to engage said coin in said recess,

said dogs, on movement of said element sliding over a properly positioned coin but engaging the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin thereby arresting the movement of said improperly positioned coin and said element; and springs connected to said dogs for urging said ends into engagement with said face of said element.

4. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a housing incorporating coin receiving and discharging stations; a circular, rotatable coin receiving element having a recess in one face thereof for snugly receiving, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the direction of rotation of said element; an actuator in said housing connected to said element for moving the recess therein between said coin receiving and discharging stations; a first coin blocking means mounted on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and in the path of movement of said recess; a second coin blocking means mounted on said housing having an end normally engaging said face of said element and disposed in the path of movement of said recess whereby said first and second coin blocking means, upon rotation of said element, slide over a properly positioned coin but engage the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin thereby arresting the movement of said improperly positioned coin and said element; and springs engageable with said coin blocking means for urging the ends thereof into engagement with the face of said element.

5. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a housing adapted to be mounted in a dispensing device having coin receiving and discharging stations; a rotatable coin wheel mounted in said housing having a coin receiving recess in one face thereof to snugly receive, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-toedge relationship in the direction of rotation of said Wheel; an actuator mounted in said housing connected to said Wheel for moving the recess therein between registry with said receiving and discharging stations; a first, pivotally mounted coin blocking dog on said housing aligned with the path of movement of said recess and having an end normally engaging the face of said Wheel; and a second 6 coin blocking dog on said housing aligned with the path of movement of said recess and having an end normally engaging the face of said wheel, said dogs on movement of said wheel sliding over properly positioned coins but engaging the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin to arrest the coin and the element.

6. In a multiple coin receiver, the combination of: a housing adapted to be mounted in a dispensing device having coin receiving and discharging stations; a rotatable coin Wheel mounted in said housing having a coin receiving recess in one face thereof to snugly receive, in a plane parallel to said face, a plurality of coins in edge-to-edge relationship in the direction of rotation of said wheel; an actuator mounted in said housing connected to said wheel for moving the recess therein between registry with said receiving and discharging stations; a first, pivotally mounted coin blocking dog on said housing aligned with.

the path of movement of said recess and having an end normally engaging the face of said wheel; a second coin blocking dog on said housing aligned with the path of movement of said recess and having an end normally engaging the face of said wheel, said dogs on movement of said Wheel sliding over properly positioned coins but engaging the leading edge of an improperly positioned coin to arrest the coin and the element; and spring means engageable with said dogs to urge said ends into engagement with said face of said wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 873,302 Cummings Dec. 10, 1907 1,683,995 Smith Sept. 11, 1928 1,761,604 Webber June 3, 1930 1,787,099 Antoine Dec. 30, 1930 1,982,999 Miller Dec. 4, 1934 2,309,480 Schneider Ian. 26, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,032 Great Britain of 1910 274,337 Italy May 17, 1930 

